March 2010

Let’s talk about the marketing materials you need to develop a paid public speaking career. There are a few essentials: a DVD, a website, a book, a one-sheet. And a number of should-haves: a social media presence, a blog, a press kit, handouts, YouTube videos. And after that, the only limit is your imagination. The […]

You’ve created both push and pull demand – you’ve wooed the bureaus and meeting planners and you’ve created a strong platform – and you’re getting inquiries. What do you need to do to create a thriving, sustainable business? Following are the three essentials for long-term success in the very tough business of (paid) public speaking. […]

If you’ve read this far, you’re interested in a paid public speaking career in spite of the competitiveness and because of the opportunity to reach an audience with your message. And you want to make money. So far, so good. The next step is to think about how you’re going to create demand for yourself […]

Coming out of the SXSW conference and the session Tim Sanders and I ran, I’m going to continue a blog series begun then on how to develop a paid public speaking career. In the first blog I discussed in general terms some of the ideas that came up during the session. Here, I’ll try to […]

We’ve arrived at that point you maybe never thought you’d get to: you’ve written your book, it’s going to be published soon, and you’re ready to market it. You’re ready because you’re smart and you’ve realized that your publisher is going to do nothing to promote the book. It’s up to you. If that shocked […]

At long last you’re ready to write the book. You’ve sold the proposal and a publisher is patiently awaiting the application of your genius to the blank computer screen. What do you need to know before you plunge in? I’ve written extensively about good structures for content in both of my books on public speaking […]

Your proposal has acquired the love of a reputable agent, and he or she is out selling it to the highest bidding publisher. That process can take a few weeks to a few months. Publishing is seasonal; there are spring and fall catalogs, and fast and slow times. So let’s take advantage of this period […]

So you’ve written that proposal, and it’s killer. Remember, there’s still a long way to go. And unfortunately, we’re at one of the hard parts of the journey. You can’t approach a publisher directly. This is one of those times in life when you need expert help. If you go to a publisher directly, it […]